Our Canyon Color Guard team started their winter guard season this February. They had a successful season with our marching band. The color guard team has amazing teachers and coaches like Mr. Sotelo, Mrs.Riley, and Mrs. Alvarado.

Mr. Sotelo has been with the Canyon Color Guard for a little over a year now. To Mr. Sotelo, “Color guard is an outlet and stress relief that allows the creativity in his mind out; it also builds bonds with students and colleagues and finds the uniformity of compassion for something.” Long rehearsal times and practicing basic techniques like dancing and acting out facial expressions are how winter guard prepares for their season.

Mr. Sotelo said, “I really like the creativeness of it and how it’s always changing. It’s never the same. Even year to year, the activity just seems to develop in its own way and its creativity, and it just makes me be able to explore different things rather than a same to same thing year to year.”

Mrs. Alvarado has been with the color guard for two years now. She loves the pageantry of the sport. The part she likes better about winter guard is the fact that they can move at their own pace. During marching season it’s about the band, so when winter guard comes around they get to try more intense tricks. A difference from this year compared to the last is that they have two more teams.  

Sam Hill has been with the color guard for eight months now. She’s one of the freshmen on the team. In this year’s show, she’s in the dance line. Sam’s teachers taught her that, even if you don’t like someone, you should put it behind you because no one cares if you like them or not.

This year is also Colby’s first year in color guard. In this year’s show, she is in the dance line and rifle section. Something her teachers taught her was to have confidence. 

Serena is on the JV team and has been with the color guard for four years now. Her favorite part about winter guard is the amazing costumes. This year she is in the flag line. Her coaches taught her that communication is key.

Cianna is another JV member. She’s part of the dance and rifle lines. Her favorite part about winter guard is the competition.

Morgan is a varsity member of Color Guard this year. She is in all four parts of the show (dance, flag, rifle, and saber). Her favorite part about winter guard is that it’s just color guard, not the band and color guard. They get more recognition for winter guard than during marching season. Something she’s learned from her coaches is to count to stay with everyone and with trust in her coaches, something that’s so small can become something big and beautiful in the end.  

Iris is another varsity member and has been with the color guard for four years now. She loves the winter guard season because of how close she gets to her fellow members and the audience. Her coaches taught her how to overcome things and tasks, to also have a better view of things, and to understand that things may be hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, it feels easy. 

As the Canyon Color Guard team continues its journey into Winter Guard, we wish them the best of luck.